What is Decolonized Therapy?
What does Decolonizing Therapy mean?
Decolonizing therapy has gained broader attention since the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, which has helped support white clinicians to learn more and think beyond the lens of psychotherapy they were taught. However clinicians of color and non-therapist healers have been supporting people for decades beyond the traditional Eurocentric landscape.
In the realm of therapy and mental health, the concept of "decolonized therapy" is gaining significant attention. But what does it truly mean, and how does it reshape the therapeutic landscape? At the Denver Couples Center, we believe that decolonized therapy is not just a buzzword but something that we think about, talk about, and do our best as predominantly white clinicians to work with clients to ensure inclusivity, authenticity, and healing for all individuals, especially marginalized communities.
Decolonized therapy fundamentally challenges the traditional Eurocentric models that have dominated the field of psychology and psychotherapy. It seeks to dismantle the pervasive structures of white supremacy, privilege, and systemic oppression within therapeutic practices. By doing so, it aims to create a space where the cultural and historical contexts of individuals, particularly people of color and LGBTQ communities, are acknowledged, respected, and understood how these structures impact well-being.
Redefining Therapeutic Norms
One of the core aspects of decolonized therapy is the redefinition of therapeutic norms. Traditional therapy often defaults to Western cultural standards, which may not resonate with clients from diverse backgrounds. By redefining these norms, therapists strive to create an environment where every client's unique positionality is valued, talked about, and integrated in their healing process.
A vital component of this redefinition is recognizing the diversity of experiences and perspectives that clients bring to therapy. This involves moving beyond a singular narrative of mental health and embracing a multiplicity of voices and stories. By doing so, therapy becomes a more inclusive space where healing is not just a clinical process but a culturally relevant journey where societal implications affect mental well-being.
Challenging Historical Narratives
Decolonized therapy also involves critically examining the historical narratives that have shaped our understanding of mental health. Many traditional therapeutic models have roots in colonial histories that often marginalized or pathologized non-Western cultures. By learning about and challenging these narratives with a different perspective from what many were taught we can better meet our clients where they are at based on their historical context.
This critical examination encourages therapists to question the origins of certain therapeutic practices and consider how they might perpetuate systemic inequalities.
Promoting Cultural Awareness
Another pillar of decolonized therapy is promoting cultural awareness. This goes beyond cultural competence to involve a deeper, ongoing engagement with different cultures and their worldviews. Therapists are encouraged to continually educate themselves about the cultural backgrounds of their clients, fostering a therapeutic relationship built on mutual respect and understanding.
Cultural awareness in therapy means being attuned to the cultural nuances that influence a client's mental health. This includes recognizing how cultural beliefs, traditions, and values shape their experiences and identities. By prioritizing cultural awareness, therapists can offer more personalized and effective support to their clients.
Decentering Whiteness in Therapy
The process of decolonization involves decentering whiteness from therapeutic practices. Traditional therapy has often been criticized for its one-size-fits-all approach, which primarily reflects Western, white, and straight cultural norms. Decentering whiteness, heteronormative, and/ or christian views means actively recognizing and addressing the biases and limitations inherent in these models.
Recognizing Systemic Biases
Decentering whiteness requires a conscious effort to recognize and address systemic biases within therapeutic practices. These biases often manifest in the form of assumptions and stereotypes that can hinder the therapeutic process. By acknowledging these biases, therapists can work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable therapeutic environment.
Understanding systemic biases involves examining how power dynamics and privilege affect the therapeutic relationship – both inside the therapy room and out. This includes being aware of how these dynamics might influence the client's willingness to share their experiences and feelings.
Creating Inclusive Therapeutic Spaces
Decentering whiteness and straightness also involves creating inclusive therapeutic spaces that welcome clients from all backgrounds. This means designing therapy sessions that are culturally sensitive and respectful of each client's unique identity. Therapists are encouraged to consider factors such as language, cultural customs, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, gender expressions and how one defines relationships when creating these spaces.
Inclusive therapeutic spaces prioritize the comfort and safety of clients, allowing them to explore their thoughts and emotions freely. By fostering an environment of inclusivity, therapists can support clients in their healing journeys and promote a deeper sense of belonging and acceptance.
Acknowledging Intersectionality
Decolonized therapy emphasizes the importance of intersectionality---a framework that considers the overlapping and interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, gender, and sexuality. This approach helps therapists and clients themselves understand how different aspects of a person's identity can compound their experiences of oppression and privilege.
Understanding Identity
Intersectionality recognizes that identities are complex and multifaceted. Clients bring a multitude of identities to therapy, each influencing their mental health and well-being in unique ways. By understanding these nuances, therapists can offer more kind, accepting, and effective support.
This understanding involves recognizing how identities intersect to create unique experiences of oppression or privilege. For example, a person of color who identifies as LGBTQ+ may face different challenges than someone who identifies solely as a person of color or LGBTQ+. By considering these intersections, therapists can tailor their approach to better meet the client's needs.
Addressing Multiple Layers of Oppression
Intersectionality also involves addressing the multiple layers of oppression that clients may experience. These layers can include systemic racism, sexism, homophobia, poverty, and other forms of discrimination. By acknowledging these layers, therapists can help clients navigate their challenges more effectively.
Addressing multiple layers of oppression requires therapists to be attuned to the ways in which these oppressions manifest in their clients' lives. This involves actively listening to clients' experiences and validating their struggles, while also working to dismantle the systemic barriers that contribute to their oppression – which is ideally done in community. Another pillar of the Western approach of psychotherapy is how it is often done in privacy without a normalized broader container that involves the family system or community.
Nurturing Empowerment and Resilience
A key goal of intersectional therapy is to foster empowerment and resilience in clients. By acknowledging and addressing the diverse challenges they face, therapists can support clients in developing the skills and strategies needed to navigate their identities and experiences.
Empowerment and resilience involve helping clients recognize their strengths and capacities, even in the face of adversity. This includes encouraging clients to embrace their identities and advocating for themselves in various contexts. By nurturing empowerment and resilience, therapists can help clients build a stronger sense of self and a more positive outlook on life alongside the reality of oppression.
The Role of Therapists
Therapists play a crucial role in facilitating therapy that looks beyond white, straight, and wealthy. It requires them to engage in continuous self-reflection and education to understand their own biases and privileges. This self-awareness is vital for creating a therapeutic space that is truly inclusive and equitable.
Engaging in Self-Reflection
Self-reflection is a critical component of a therapist's role in decolonized therapy. Therapists must regularly examine their own beliefs, biases, and assumptions to ensure they are not inadvertently perpetuating systemic inequalities. This ongoing process of self-reflection helps therapists remain open and adaptable in their practice.
Engaging in self-reflection involves questioning one's own cultural norms and values and considering how they might impact the therapeutic relationship. It also requires therapists to be honest with themselves about their limitations and areas for growth, seeking out opportunities for professional development and learning.
Committing to Continuous Education
Continuous education is essential for therapists to stay informed about the latest developments in decolonized therapy. This involves actively seeking out resources, training, and workshops that focus on cultural competence, intersectionality, and anti-oppressive practices. By committing to continuous education, therapists can enhance their ability to support clients from diverse backgrounds.
Continuous education also involves staying updated on the evolving landscape of mental health and therapy. This includes understanding the latest research and trends in decolonized therapy and applying this knowledge to their practice. By doing so, therapists can provide clients with the most relevant and effective support.
Embracing Cultural Competence
Cultural competence is a foundational element of decolonized therapy. Therapists must be open to learning about different cultural practices, beliefs, and values, and how these influence the client's worldview and mental health. This goes beyond mere tolerance; it involves a genuine appreciation and integration of cultural diversity into the therapeutic process.
Understanding Cultural Contexts
Cultural competence involves understanding the cultural contexts that shape a client's experiences and mental health. This includes recognizing how cultural beliefs, traditions, and values influence their worldview and interactions with others. By understanding these contexts, therapists can offer more personalized and effective support.
Understanding cultural contexts requires therapists to be attentive to the cultural nuances that affect a client's mental health. This involves being aware of how cultural factors such as family dynamics, religious beliefs, media, and community influences impact the client's experiences and challenges.
Appreciating Cultural Diversity
Appreciating cultural diversity involves recognizing the richness and complexity of different cultural identities. Therapists are encouraged to embrace cultural diversity as a strength and asset in the therapeutic process, rather than viewing it as a barrier or challenge.
Appreciating cultural diversity means being open to learning from clients and valuing their unique cultural perspectives. This involves listening with curiosity and respect, allowing clients to share their cultural experiences and insights. By appreciating cultural diversity, therapists can foster a more inclusive and supportive therapeutic environment.
Integrating Cultural Practices
Integrating cultural practices into therapy involves collaborating with clients to incorporate their cultural beliefs and traditions into the therapeutic process. This can include incorporating cultural rituals, customs, language, and practices that hold significance for the client.
Integrating cultural practices requires therapists to be flexible and creative in their approach, finding ways to honor and incorporate the client's cultural self into their healing journey. By doing so, therapists can offer a more personalized and culturally relevant therapeutic experience.
Benefits of Decolonized Therapy for Couples
For couples, especially those from marginalized communities, decolonized therapy can offer transformative insights and healing opportunities. It allows couples to explore the dynamics of their relationship within the context of their own cultural and historical backgrounds – even the culture that they have built in their current relationship.
Enhancing Communication and Understanding
Decolonized therapy fosters open communication and understanding between partners by addressing the cultural and systemic factors influencing their relationship. It encourages couples to explore how societal narratives and biases impact their interactions and helps them develop more empathetic and supportive communication patterns.
Enhancing communication involves helping couples identify and articulate their needs and feelings, fostering a deeper understanding of each other's perspectives. By addressing cultural and systemic influences, couples can build a more resilient and connected relationship.
Addressing Power Dynamics
Power dynamics are inherent in all relationships, but they can be exacerbated by cultural and systemic factors. Decolonized therapy helps couples identify and address these dynamics, promoting a more equitable and harmonious relationship.
Addressing power dynamics involves recognizing how privilege and oppression impact the relationship and working to create a more balanced partnership. This includes exploring issues of control, decision-making, and communication, helping couples build a more collaborative and respectful relationship. Note, much of this can be unconscious or internalized – our job is to create awareness of this with compassion.
Strengthening Cultural Identity
For many couples, particularly interracial or intercultural ones, navigating cultural differences can be challenging. Decolonized therapy supports couples in embracing and celebrating their cultural identities, fostering a deeper connection and mutual respect.
Strengthening cultural identity involves helping couples honor and integrate their cultural backgrounds into their relationship, creating a shared cultural narrative. By celebrating their cultural identities, couples can build a stronger sense of unity and appreciation for each other's unique experiences.
Challenges in Implementing Decolonized Therapy
While decolonized therapy offers numerous benefits, it is not without its challenges. Implementing this approach requires a commitment to ongoing education and self-reflection from therapists. It also demands systemic changes within the broader mental health field to support and promote decolonized practices.
Resistance to Change
One of the primary challenges is resistance to change, both from within the mental health profession and from clients who may be accustomed to traditional therapeutic models. Overcoming this resistance requires a concerted effort to educate and advocate for the benefits of decolonized therapy.
Resistance to change involves addressing the misconceptions and biases that may hinder the adoption of decolonized practices. This includes providing education and training to therapists and clients, helping them understand the value and importance of decolonized therapy.
Institutional Barriers
Institutional barriers present another challenge in the implementation of decolonized therapy. These barriers can include systemic inequalities, lack of access to resources, and resistance to change within mental health organizations.
Addressing institutional barriers requires advocacy and collaboration to create systemic changes that support decolonized practices. This includes advocating for policy changes, increased funding for decolonized therapy programs, and greater representation of diverse voices within the mental health field.
Moving Forward: The Future of Therapy
Decolonized therapy represents a significant shift towards a more inclusive and equitable approach to mental health. At the Denver Couples Center, we are committed to embracing this paradigm and supporting our clinicians and our clients in their healing journeys. By recognizing and addressing the cultural and systemic factors influencing mental health, we can create a therapeutic space that truly honors and empowers all individuals.
Embracing New Approaches
As the field of therapy continues to evolve, it is essential for both therapists and clients to remain open to new approaches and perspectives. Decolonized therapy is not just about addressing the past but about paving the way for a more inclusive and healing future.
Embracing new approaches involves being open to innovative and creative solutions that challenge traditional therapeutic models. This includes exploring new techniques, practices, and frameworks that prioritize inclusivity and cultural relevance.
Advocating for Systemic Change
Advocating for systemic change is crucial for the continued growth and success of decolonized therapy. This involves working towards creating a more equitable and just mental health system that supports and promotes decolonized practices.
Advocacy requires collaboration and partnership with stakeholders, policymakers, and mental health organizations to create meaningful and lasting changes. By advocating for systemic change, we can ensure that decolonized therapy becomes a central and valued part of the mental health landscape.
Building a More Inclusive Future
Building a more inclusive future involves committing to ongoing education, reflection, and growth as therapists and as a mental health community. By prioritizing inclusivity and cultural competence, we can create a therapeutic environment that supports the healing and growth of all individuals.
This commitment involves continually challenging ourselves to learn and grow, seeking out opportunities for professional development and collaboration. By building a more inclusive future, we can create a mental health landscape that truly honors and empowers all individuals.
Denver Couples Center is dedicated to thinking and acting in our work with a decolonized therapy lens. By decentering whiteness, embracing diversity, and acknowledging intersectionality, we can foster a therapeutic environment that truly supports the healing and growth of all individuals.
